


[   essence of the spell   ]

by eternalmagic



Series: strifehart week [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M, Strifehart Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 11:37:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16094897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalmagic/pseuds/eternalmagic
Summary: Cloud thinks that being a wizard isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Leon’s too busy cracking up.[ strifehart week 2018 day 2: succession of witches; or, witchcraft/magic. ]





	[   essence of the spell   ]

**Author's Note:**

> this is based on the tumblr prompt, "my best friend got turned into a frog and now i'm being the best wingman/woman/person ever by carrying them around to bars and getting hot people to kiss them in hopes of hooking them up with their true love". it just screamed strifehart potential to me, haha. EDIT: I have now also fixed the spacing issue. dangit, self, check that first next time.
> 
> also, the title comes from [a track on the ost](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAzMUtGFZN8) for _mary and the witch's flower_. technically, the track is called "master spells", but someone had "essence of the spell" as their translation and i like that a bit more.

Leon may or may not be struggling to keep a straight face.

The frog sitting on his work bench croaks miserably. “Look, are you going to help me out or not?” It shuffles and sighs, deflating into a puddle. “...I need it. Really this time, I do.”

As funny as the situation is, Cloud Strife is not a man to ask for help unless he absolutely, desperately needs it. Being turned into a frog by his worst enemy probably counts as _desperately needing help_. Leon's the type of man to help those in need, anyway, so Cloud wouldn't have had to beg like this--but Leon _does_ think he needs a chance to squirm a little. He caused enough headaches that it was probably about time he had to be inconvenienced a little bit.

With a huff of a laugh, Leon holds out his hand so Cloud can step into it. “You’re going to owe me, just so you know.”

“Yeah, yeah. Can you just put me in some water already? I feel like my body’s turning into a desert.”

Leon holds his friend close to his chest as he closes up shop for the day and pads up the stairs to his apartment. He begins to fill his bathroom sink with cool water and sets the frog in it delicately as it fills. It takes a few minutes before Cloud seems to have soaked enough, but when he's hydrated again he explains what had happened. Leon settles on his bathroom stool as Cloud begins his tale of woe, unable to keep himself from running a finger along the frog’s back gently in spite of the slimy residue he gets on his fingers. He laughs, of course, because the story is a funny one and he’s always thought Cloud’s way of working with other wizards would get him in a situation like this someday. Cloud doesn’t seem to mind the laughter as much as he could.

“So...would you mind terribly if I stayed here?” Cloud asks, voice quiet. He turns his eyes up to meet Leon’s gaze. He looks quite pitiful, sitting half-submerged in Leon’s bathroom sink. "I don't think it's a good idea to be alone when I'm like this."

The brunette makes a quiet noise, but can’t help the smile on his face. “Like I'd turn away my best friend.”

He can’t quite tell with Cloud having been turned into a wood frog with unfamiliar facial features, but Leon thinks the wizard might be smiling.

 

“Maybe it’s gonna wear off over time. One of those things you have to wait out.” says Yuffie, the first witch of the night to try and break Cloud’s spell. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, making a face at the mucus she smears across her cheek. “You never know with transfiguration spells.”

Leon bites his lip to keep from giving away his smile. He turns away, sipping from his glass.

“I’ve tried just about everything…” He hears Cloud admit, before he and Yuffie dive into a discussion about transfiguration magic and its side effects.

Leon rolls his eyes. Spellcasters.

Tifa leans onto the counter across from him, glancing down the bar to where the witch and wizard are talking quietly to themselves. She takes out her bottle of whiskey from behind the counter, refreshing Leon’s glass. “Guess he struck out again.”

Leon hums. “Not for lack of trying. At least he’s making friends with some of the better witches in the area. Maybe they'll be able to help him steer clear of things like this better than you or I can.”

Tifa snorts. "I doubt that. Cloud's always been a little too reckless for his own good."

Leon makes a noncommittal noise, sipping at his drink and falling into deep thought. Hopefully, this curse from Cloud's greatest rival would make him see sense; if Cloud learned his lesson from this, maybe Leon wouldn't have to worry over him so much.

It's a few minutes before Yuffie bids farewell to her new friend, waving goodbye to Tifa and heading out for the night. Cloud hops his way back towards Leon, sighing heavily. When Tifa sets down a saucer of water for him, Cloud murmurs his appreciation and climbs his way into it.

Leon sets his chin in his hand, watching the frog with great interest. "I still think you should let me brew something up for you. It might be what you need."

Cloud settles Leon with a look. "No offense, but I'm not about to let any alchemical potions change up my body any more than this spell already has."

"Your loss." Leon had assumed the answer would be no--he's offered several times in the week that Cloud's been staying with him, but the blonde has never really been very keen on potion making or alchemy.

"Why are you so intent on this whole _kissed by your true love_ solution, anyway?" Tifa straightens, hands settling on her hips. "Seems like a long shot, finding your true love here."

Cloud is quiet for a moment, too preoccupied with soaking in his small water bath. Leon thinks he may have fallen asleep--the wizard has grown much more prone to napping since becoming a frog--but he finally says, "Sephiroth's too much of a traditionalist. It's his spell, so I'm pretty sure he'd make it nearly impossible to break. Add that on top of how temperamental spells like this can be, I doubt a potion could break it."

Tifa and Leon share a look. _Spellcasters_.

"This is why I prefer potions and alchemy." Tifa rolls her eyes. "It's based on actual science, and I know what the outcome will be. What's the point of using spells when half the time they don't work the way they're supposed to?" Cloud tenses, and just as he's about to start off into his usual rant, Tifa holds up her hand. "Don't start, I've heard your lectures a thousand times already."

The frog grumbles quietly to himself, repositioning himself in his saucer. He does stick his tongue out at the bartender before going after a fly settled a little further down the bar.

Leon takes a moment to glance around the bar and see if anyone new has come in. The place isn't packed, considering it's only Tuesday night, and the only people around are the regulars or people Cloud has already tried true love's kiss with. He heaves a breath. "I don't know if you're going to have much more luck tonight, Cloud. Yuffie may have been it."

"You could try me or Leon, if you're that desperate." Tifa says, leaning onto the counter again. "I bet the kiss can be platonic."

"I _told_ you," Cloud rolls his eyes, his entire body moving as he does so, "this spell came from a bigger magic traditionalist than even Aerith. He probably made sure that it's only _romantic_."

"Even then, you never know." Tifa shrugs. "Still probably worth a shot."

"I've got this under control." Cloud puffs himself up a little in an attempt to look imposing.

Leon can't help the tiny smile on his face at the sight--in spite of what he's been turned into, Cloud is keeping up his usual attitude. He could do with a bit more faith in solutions other than a kiss from his one true love, but Leon knows better than to change the wizard's mind when it's set on something like this. Maybe, if things didn't start to look better soon, Cloud might change his mind.

The frog turns to Leon. "Guess I won't be changed back tonight, and I'm getting kind of tired."

"Ready to go, then?" Leon knows the answer before Cloud even has to say _yes_ , holding out a hand for the frog to climb into. He downs the last of his whiskey and sets down payment on the bar, nodding to Tifa as he stands. "See you later."

Tifa winks at him. "Bye, you two. Don't get into any more trouble, Cloud."

The frog grumbles under his breath, waving a leg at her. Leon heads off, careful of the amphibian in his hands.

 

After two weeks as a frog, Cloud is getting more than a little desperate.

He watches anxiously from the small terrarium Leon has set up for him as the brunette works, making quiet noises in his throat every so often. Leon's found he doesn't mind the additional noise as much as he could, though he's always been one to prefer quiet as he works. He lets Cloud's quiet noise become background chatter as he grinds the ingredients for his potion with his mortar and pestle, silently pouring each ingredient into separate bowls before he'll eventually brew them together.

"How long is this gonna take?" Cloud says, loud enough to be sure to catch Leon's attention.

Leon doesn't glance up to the frog, instead turning his attention to his rows upon rows of ingredients. He takes a dried foxglove blossom from a jar and sets it into the mortar next. "It'll do you well to be patient. Potion making isn't something you can do in a matter of seconds, you know."

He doesn't even need to look over to know that Cloud is scowling as best he can. "Alchemists like you don't know the meaning of _time is of the essence_."

Leon would argue that he's more of an apothecary than an alchemist, but it seems silly to do so. "You rush a potion," Leon says after a moment, giving the frog a bemused look, "you get a rotten potion. Just give it some time. And you should really stop complaining, by the way--I'm doing you a favor by brewing this." He pours the crushed flower into a new bowl.

"...I'm still not sure if it'll work." Cloud admits. "But I _do_ trust your potions. So..."

Leon smiles faintly as he turns back to his ingredient list. "Your confidence in my ability is appreciated. I'm almost done gathering the ingredients, and then it takes some time to brew--but hopefully this does the trick for you." He takes a dehydrated newt from his stores and begins to grind it to dust.

Cloud watches him for a long, quiet moment, and Leon returns his focus to the task at hand. The newt is his last ingredient, so once it's been ground into fine powder, he sets it aside to assembled his cauldron and its flame. A base of water and ground lilypad first, brought to a boil... Leon stands back as the fire under the cauldron comes to life, crossing his arms. This would take some time.

The wizard finally breaks the silence. "Leon..."

"Mmm?" Leon glances over, raising a brow.

Cloud fidgets before hopping to the top of the terrarium. As he settles himself, he says, "Why are you so willing to do this for me? Why did you take me in?"

The question catches him off guard--he hadn't exactly thought about it too hard before now. Leon had known Cloud for what felt like forever; they had both studied briefly under the sorcerer Merlin, though their interests lay in the opposing ideas of spell casting and potion making. They'd butted heads a little while still with Merlin, but that had quickly given way to a fierce friendship. Leon tended not to dwell on the way his heart felt light in his chest when Cloud came to him for help or advice or for a specific potion, though he knew that was the reason.

"You're a friend, Cloud." He finally says, smile faint. "I wasn't going to just leave you to suffer on your own. You'd be doing the same for me, if our situations were reversed."

The frog relaxes (could frogs even be tense the way a human could be?) and leaves Leon be for the time the potion needs to brew. Leon studies him once or twice, not sure what to make of his friends' mood.

 

"So, you've been like this..."

"For a month." Cloud finishes, gesturing with his webbed hand. He seems understandably upset by Aerith's amused smile. "Yes, and it's high time that I get you to help me with it. I've tried potions, I've tried the kiss of true love--I'm running out of options. And you're the only one I trust to break it with a counterspell."

Aerith's smile turns a little fonder now, and she lets out a breath. "You can be really sweet when you want to, Cloud." Before Cloud can ask just what she means by that, she holds out her hand. "Okay, hop on. Let me take a look."

Cloud hops as gracefully as he can into Aerith's waiting palm. As he does so, the witch turns to Leon beside her. "And you've been watching him?"

Leon just nods, watching as the frog clambers into her outstretched hand. "Pretty much the entire time, really. He's not been such bad company like this, actually. A lot less bugs in both the shop and my apartment."

The frog gives Leon a withering look over his shoulder, and Aerith just laughs. "Glad to know I'm only good for catching flies."

"Oh, I'm sure you're good for more than just that." Aerith hums, giving Leon a knowing smile. "But really, taking care of a friend when he gets turned into a frog? If that's not love, I don't know what is."

Leon turns away, hoping that the bar's darker lighting will hide the heat rising to his face. Aerith really needs to learn that she doesn't always have to go pointing out the obvious--Leon's aware of how he feels about Cloud, and he thinks that Cloud has probably caught on by now. At least, he should have. Leon hasn't been as subtle as he's known to be.

 

He's not even quite sure how it had happened. One day, he looks up to find that he doesn't mind having amphibian mucus all over his things, and that he'll reach over to scratch at an itch Cloud can't quite reach with his slippery limbs without even thinking about it. Leon didn't exactly care about it before, but he's a bit weirded out the first time he finds Cloud's pleased noises as the itch is scratched endearing.

Leon has it bad.

But the thing is, he wants Cloud to be human again. He hasn't minded toting a frog from place to place, and for helping the wizard convince other witches and wizards to try for true love's kiss, but being an amphibian isn't exactly ideal. Cloud hasn't complained about his sorry state as much lately, but Leon can sense the worry radiating off of his small body every time he draws close.

It's been a week since their meeting with Aerith, and had learned that despite her ability with magic being far greater than either Leon or Cloud, she couldn't do anything to help the poor blonde. Ever since, Cloud had seemed resigned to his fate, though he _had_ relented and let Tifa try her luck with a kiss. He hadn't mentioned allowing Leon to do so, which the brunette found a little odd. Maybe Cloud just assumed that it wouldn't work if Leon tried--though it was severely disappointing to think of that.

Eventually, Leon finally speaks up about it.

He's watching Cloud soak in his bathroom sink, idly tracing designs in the water. Cloud is busy reciting spell incantations ("So I don't forget them, even if I can't use them while I'm a frog," He'd said) and while Leon is loathe to interrupt, he breaks in anyway.

"Cloud...is there any reason why you haven't let me try?"

The frog stops mid sentence, looking up at the brunette. He blinks, then makes a confused noise.

Leon feels his face turn pink. "True love's kiss. Seems like you've had everyone we know try it for you, except for me. Just...wondered if there was a reason for it."

Cloud goes quiet for a long moment. "Not really. Didn't occur to me to ask, I don't think."

Leon raises an eyebrow at him. "That sounds like it's an excuse, and a flimsy one at that."

"You can try, if you want." Cloud rushes to say, perhaps too nervously. "Doubt anything will come of it, but..."

Leon watches him for a quiet moment, before holding out his palm. Cloud hesitates for a long moment before swimming over and climbing up into Leon's hand. Gently, Leon lifts the frog and (after a moment of hesitation, because while he doesn't _mind_ the mucus, he's not excited about having it near his mouth) kisses Cloud on the top of the head.

Nothing happens. Not at first, anyway. A long moment of silence settles in the bathroom, leaving Cloud and Leon to stare at each other with uncertainty. But then, just as Leon is about to apologize for being unable to turn Cloud back, the frog's expression morphs, and he squirms in Leon's hand. Before Leon's eyes, the frog transforms back into a human man, the sudden weight sending both sprawling back into the wall opposite the bathroom sink. It takes a moment for it to register just what's happened. Leon blinks, staring wide-eyed at Cloud laying over him, stark naked. He feels heat rising to his face as Cloud finally looks up as well.

Cloud laughs nervously, blue eyes bright. "Well...that went better than expected?"

Leon doesn't know how to respond to that, other than to laugh. He does, a smile stretching from ear to ear. He hears Cloud join him, snaking arms around Leon's neck and holding tight.

 

[ Leon makes a face a few minutes later as he gets a sour taste in his mouth. He wipes the amphibian mucus off with his palm, in turn wiping it on Cloud's exposed shoulder. Cloud lets out an affronted noise, smacking at him. But considering that Leon was able to use true love's kiss, Cloud doesn't do anything more than that. ]

**Author's Note:**

> i'll admit this was my second stab at this prompt, but honestly, this turned out better than what the first idea would have been (though I may revisit that idea and post it eventually). hope you all enjoyed it, though! :D
> 
> you can find me on tumblr at x-eternalmagic or howdomaddie, and on twitter as @howdomaddie! if you enjoyed this, please leave me a comment and tell me what you liked most! i promise it will make my day.


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